FAQs

The Law School is located at the junction of Downtown Brooklyn, the Brooklyn Civic Center, and the Brooklyn Heights Historic District--across the street from Borough Hall, a few blocks from the Brooklyn Bridge and one or two train stops from Lower Manhattan. View our interactive map and find directions to the Law School.

Brooklyn Law School strives to admit a diverse group of people in its entering classes. Thus, the Admissions Committee will consider a history of surmounting obstacles (whether economic, societal or educational) or overcoming disabilities (whether physical, communicative or learning), in addition to any special contribution an applicant may be able to make to the diversity of interest, background and experience among members of its entering class. Applicants who wish any of these factors to be considered for admission or financial aid should be sure to indicate them in their application materials. Minorities comprise 27.7 percent of our 2011 entering class, as well as the current school-wide enrollment.

Our bar pass rate for first-time test takers on the July 2012 New York State bar examination was 86 percent. For the July 2011 examination it was 89 percent; for the July 2009 and 2010 examinations it was 90 percent; and for the July 2008 examination it was 91 percent.

BLS enjoys a student-faculty ratio of 15.3:1. Our 73 full-time faculty and approximately 135 part-time / adjunct professors who teach over the year are, as a group, superb teachers who pride themselves on their availability. Our “open door policy” is a hallmark of student-faculty relations here.

Classes offered during the day typically feature at least one substantive course taught in sections of about 40 students. Legal Writing classes are generally half that number. Other day-time classes have about 80 students. Most first-year evening courses have about 90 students. Evening Legal Writing classes have about fifteen students in each section.

Some applicants are certain as to the area of practice they are headed for, some think they know, and many are, as yet, undecided or open-minded. You may already have professional experience in a particular area that will be enhanced by a legal degree; this may be to your advantage in the job market. If you do not have such experience or you are not sure what area of law you wish to pursue, the Career Center is available, as are faculty advisors, to assist you while you pursue your studies.

Our extensive curriculum will expose you to practically any area of law that interests you. In addition to your classroom experience, the metropolitan area’s legal community provides ample opportunity for practical experience. Exposure to different areas of practice through your courses, guest speaker programs, conferences, work with professors, clinics and other professional experiences will help guide your interests and increase your contacts locally and nationally.

The nature of a candidate’s college work, as well as the quality of academic performance, is taken into account in the selection process. However, Brooklyn Law School does not require applicants for admission to present college credit in any specialized subjects or any particular academic major. A broad, general education that includes a reasonable mastery of some chosen field of concentration is more valuable than specialized study in subject areas closely related to law. Such an education should include study in literature; in humanities, such as philosophy and logic; in social studies, such as economics, political thought and history; in science and mathematics; in foreign languages; and in creative expression and communication such as English composition and speech.

We strive to enroll a talented, diverse student body at BLS and you will find that philosophy reflected in the range of educational backgrounds represented in each class - typically some 55-60 academic concentrations are represented. The current student body includes a number of former teachers, journalists, engineers, scientists, doctors, nurses, accountants and business professionals.